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March 3 launch date at BRC for Wightwick Hall

by

Sam Hewitt

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18th February 2019

Hawksworth ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6989 Wightwick Hall will have its public launch into traffic at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.
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Heritage Explorer: Four lines in four days

by

Sam Hewitt

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13th February 2019

Last summer Robert Drysdale embarked on an 800-mile round trip to visit four heritage railways in four days using the national rail network and occasionally a local bus. His personal account provides some interesting observations and food for thought. On the morning of Friday, July 3, 2018, I arrived at Newark North Gate station to…
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LOCAL LOCO TRIALS: 1931 style

by

Sam Hewitt

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13th February 2019

In this month’s Practice & Performance, John Heaton FCILT recalls loco trials undertaken by the LMS to assess locomotive coal consumption in a bid to discover whether trains of lower overall weight could cut costs on lesser used lines. Any casual lineside observers on September 9, 1931 at Chellaston (some four miles from Derby on…
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HS2 seeking contractorsfor Curzon Street project

by

Sam Hewitt

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6th February 2019

BIDDERS are being sought by HS2 Ltd for the £435million contract to build its new Curzon Street terminus in Birmingham. Up to four bidders will be shortlisted in the spring for the design and build deal, which will be awarded in 2020 and deliver the project in time for the opening of HS2 Phase 1…
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Electric trains reach Newbury

by

Sam Hewitt

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6th February 2019

ELECTRIC stopping trains are now serving Newbury and local stations to Reading, with services provided by GWR. Completion of the electrification work fell behind schedule because of cost and technical issues, and plans to electrify on to Bath and Bristol were abandoned. This means Newbury is now the extent of the electrified section on the…
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Crewe’s June open day to have more than 30 exhibits

by

Sam Hewitt

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6th February 2019

TICKETS for the June 8 open day at Crewe diesel depot will go on sale at 10.00 on February 6. A planned line-up of more than 30 locomotives and units means the event is shaping up well, according to organisers. The charity All Change event is being held at the Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) depot,…
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It’s a breeze as Alstom and Eversholt Rail unveil hydrogen train for UK

by

Sam Hewitt

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4th February 2019

ALSTOM and Eversholt Rail have unveiled plans to re-engineer a number of Class 321 EMUs to run on hydrogen. The first units could be in service by 2021. Following Alstom’s successful introduction of the ‘Coradia’ iLint hydrogen trains in Germany, there is a focus to create a similar train in the UK, and the two…
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DfT decision on Island Line future deferred for three months

by

Sam Hewitt

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4th February 2019

By Phil Marsh THE Department of Transport has extended a deadline for South Western Railway’s (SWR) plan to transform the operation of the Island Line on the Isle of Wight (IoW). One of the franchise conditions of SWR taking over the loss-making Island Line was to work with the Isle of Wight Council and Isle…
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Caledonian Sleeper Mk5s make Euston test-run debut

by

Sam Hewitt

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4th February 2019

CALEDONIAN Sleeper’s new Mk5 carriages made their first trial run to London Euston on January 22 ahead of their launch later this year. The new stock, costing £100million, will initially be rolled out on the Lowlander route between Glasgow/Edinburgh and London before being introduced onto the Highlander, serving Fort William, Aberdeen and Inverness. The test…
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Mock-up of Merseyrail Class 777 gets positive response

by

Sam Hewitt

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2nd February 2019

VISITORS who visited the mock-up of Merseyrail’s new Class 777 EMU earlier this year have given some positive feedback to the features of the full-sized model. Nearly 50% of those who viewed the replica said the design of the train would persuade them to use the Merseyrail network. An order worth £460million for 52 four-car…
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